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Sunday, November 23, 2014

After a long tiring first day in Iloilo city, my friend Gladys and I decided to dine in Bourbon Street in Smallville, Iloilo City. We were hungry and thirsts for some cold beers and thought that this is the perfect place to get good food and beers.

I have read a lot of blog posts saying that they've got the best ribs in town. Some even say their famous ribs are being shipped from Iloilo to different parts of the country. Well that must be an extraordinary ribs! Without hesitation, we both head to Bourbon Street that night.

The place isn't packed since it's just a Thursday night but we saw families and group of friends dining. The interiors gives off that modern industrial vibe with a touch of the pub feel. Warm lights also gave the place a cozy tone.

We decided to get cold beers, ribs and fish and chips that night.

Cajun Fish and Chips (Php 275)

Their beer battered Fish and Chips is not spectacular. But coming from a fried food deprived diet before flying to Iloilo, this one made my tummy happy. :)

Bourbon Barbeque Ribs - Half Rack (Php 495)

I was hoping that their ribs would wow me. I was wishing that I could say it is the best ribs I have tasted in my life but to my dismay failed to say those words after my first bite. I have definitely tasted better ribs. But hey, this could be the best in Iloilo so I wont argue anymore. :)

Ice cold Cerveza Negra

Ordering Cerveza Negra that night might not be the best idea since it never made the ribs' flavors stand out. Ordering a crisp lager could make it a better deal but I was craving for a dark, roasted, malty beer so I ordered it still. :)

Service is ok. The wait staff are attentive enough to take care of our needs. Now since my friend Gladys celebrated her birthday a day before we left Manila, I decided to ask if the establishment have a little something for the birthday girl and was surprised to know they do give out a little something for the birthday celebrants.

Happy Birthday, Gladys!

Minus the whole "Happy Birthday to You!" singing, one of the servers brought a huge plate with a small chocolate cake which me and the birthday girl enjoyed. I would have to say that the cake is luscious! It was so rich that we weren't able to finish it. Not a bad thing though. :)

Overall the experience we had in Bourbon Street is ok. The prices are not that steep, though I really can't recall the exact prices of the dishes that we ordered.

Now if you're going to ask me if it is a must place to go to when in Iloilo? I would have to say no. But was I satisfied with my meal that night? Well, it has to be a yes.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Food has always been the driver for any itinerary I made (and will make in the future) whenever I travel. Researching about the best place to eat in Iloilo was a walk in the park. Here and there I hear friends tell me to never miss Breakthrough Restaurant, and so to start our Iloilo trip, we had our very first meal in this place.

We stayed in Circle Inn and took the jeepney going to Breakthrough. People around are actually very helpful in pointing us to the right way and we arrived there in no time. It was about 2 in the afternoon when we got there and loved the fact that the place is unbuzzed and relaxed since lunch time already passed.

As soon as we arrived, we saw the wide array of food displays ranging from local dishes to the freshest catch of the day.

Cooked viands presented turo-turo style

Cooked viands presented turo-turo style

Live Seafood Display

Fresh Fishes

They let us choose from the display and also presented us the fresh seafoods. It was so hard to pick which ones to order since everything looks enticing plus the fact that we need to control ourselves from ordering since we are only dining for two. After minutes of deliberation, we were finally able to place our orders.

We were then escorted by one of the wait staff and I immediately ask if he can sit me somewhere I could smoke. In case you don't know, Iloilo is a friggin smoking free city and enforces this rule very very strictly. Anyway, he told us that we can sit near the beach and I was very happy to see that we got the place to ourselves!

Our own private dining space :)

In the photo above, we were actually under the tents outside that gave us a fantastic view of the sea. It was sunny but breezy at the same time and we tremendously enjoyed the view.

Whatta View!

While waiting for our orders to be brought in our table, my friend and I discussed about our itinerary for our stay. We were surprised how prompt their service is because the food was delivered to our table within minutes.

Here's what we got.

Imbao Soup (Php 185)

We had started our meal with this delicious soup. They call this sea shell Imbao and it was the first time my friend and I tried it. It was huuuuuge and the soup was superbly cooked. The Imbao tasted so fresh. Its mineral-y, It's juicy, It's succulent. The broth is superb with that big ginger taste. The dish is just very pleasant to eat during that warm day.

Sibingan Sugba / Grilled Taningue (Php 306)

We wanted to get fish and we were hesitant to get a big one since it was just the two of us eating. Luckily we saw a perfect sized Taningue in the display and opted for it to be grilled. We were not wrong for choosing it. The fish is flaky and juicy. The marinade they used is perfect with citrus, sweet and salty flavors.

Calamares (Php 220)

My friend Gladys asked if we can order Calamares and we did. We can tell that the squid is fresh because it is sweet. The dish was cooked perfectly. Crunchy and at the same time tender. Went perfectly well with the tangy, spicy and flavorful vinegar as our "sawsawan"

The perfect sawsawan!

We thought that what we ordered was too much for us two but we were certainly wrong! We never really knew if its either just enough for us both or we were able to down everything in with ease and pleasure since everything is toothsome! Certainly, everything is delicious and fresh. It was definitely one helluva meal. Never ever dare skip this when visiting Iloilo. :)

How to go there?

From the city, ride a jeep with a sign "Villa". Ask the driver to drop you off Breakthrough. It took us about 20 minutes from the city to Breakthrough :)